Fortaleza Hospital Fire Triggers Transfer of Mothers and Newborns After Power-Station Failure

Overview

• The blaze began in the hospital’s external power-generation substation and was brought under control around 11:30 a.m., with no injuries or damage to clinical areas reported.
• State health authorities are relocating more than 50 patients by ambulance convoy with traffic controls, aiming to move all mothers and babies by the end of the day.
• At least three infants in incubators were evacuated at speed and temporarily sheltered in nearby shops before transport, according to local reporting.
• Energy utility Enel cited an internal defect in the hospital’s local network, executed an emergency shutdown, and installed generators, including five for the neonatal ICU, to support critical care during transfers.
• A forensic investigation is underway into the cause, with patients distributed across eight receiving hospitals in Fortaleza as contingency measures stay in place.